Attractions

170-year-old pagoda is popular tourist site in HCM City

The 170-year-old An Phu Pagoda at the foot of Chanh Hung Bridge in Ho Chi Minh
City’s District 8 is an attractive destination for foreign visitors to the
southern city.

Construction on the pagoda, built under the
Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945), was completed in 1847 under the reign of King Tu
Duc by Venerable Thich Thanh Duc. The pagoda underwent restoration in 1961
under Master Monk of Thich Tu Bach until 2004.

All wall surfaces and columns for the exterior
and interior are stunningly decorated with nearly 30 tonnes of broken porcelain
pieces, including chipped plates, bowls and vases, making it the only porcelain
pagoda in HCM City.

In 2007, the place was acknowledged by the
Vietnam Record Book Centre as Vietnam’s largest temple made of ceramic pieces.

Two candles, weighing 1,800 kg each and
measuring 3.4 metres in height, have been recognised as the heaviest and
largest in Vietnam in 2005.

The pagoda has now become one of the most-visited
religious destinations in the city and attracts a large number of Buddhists and
tourists on full moon days or during Tet (the Lunar New Year) holiday.-VNA